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Perseus
Perseus is the protagonist of Clash of the Titans. He was portrayed by Harry Hamlin in the 1981 film and by Sam Worthington in the 2010 remake. Mythology Perseus, the legendary founder of Mycenae and of the Perseid dynasty of Danaans there, was the first of the mythic heroes of Greek mythology whose exploits in defeating various archaic monsters provided the founding myths of the Twelve Olympians. Perseus was the Greek hero who killed the Gorgon Medusa, and claimed Andromeda, having rescued her from a sea monster sent by Poseidon in retribution for Queen Cassiopeia declaring herself more beautiful than the Nereids Perseus was the son of Zeus and Danae, who by her very name, was the archetype of all the Danaans. She was the only child of Acrisius, King of Argos. Disappointed by his lack of luck in having a son, Acrisius consulted the oracle at Delphi, who warned him that he would one day be killed by his daughter's son. Danaë was childless and to keep her so, he imprisoned her in a bronze chamber open to the sky in the courtyard of his palace: This mytheme is also connected to Ares, Oenopion, Eurystheus, etc. Despite the excessive forms of protection to prevent impregnation of Danae, Zeus came to her in the form of a shower of gold, and impregnated her. Not so long after, their child was born: Perseus. History Clash of the Titans (1981) Calibos, son of the sea goddess Thetis, is a young man engaged to marry Princess Andromeda, the daughter of Queen Cassiopeia and heir to the rich city of Joppa; but has destroyed diverse creatures including most of Zeus's flying horses (excepting only Pegasus). To punish him, Zeus transforms Calibos into a satyr-like creature later exiled by his people. In revenge, Thetis transports Perseus from Seriphos to Joppa, as payback to Zeus for deforming her son, where he learns that Andromeda cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle, whose failures are burned at the stake. Perseus, wearing a helmet that renders its wearer invisible, captures Pegasus and follows Andromeda to learn a new riddle from Calibos. Perseus is nearly killed by Calibos but escapes, losing his helmet in the process. Perseus presents himself as suitor and correctly answers the riddle, presenting the severed hand of Calibos - Calibos' ring is the answer to the riddle. Perseus wins Andromeda's hand in marriage. Calibos, finding that Thetis cannot act against Perseus, instead demands that she take vengeance on Joppa. At the wedding, Queen Cassiopeia compares Andromeda's beauty to that of Thetis herself, whereupon Thetis demands Andromeda be sacrificed to the Kraken on pain of Joppa's destruction. Perseus seeks a way to defeat the Kraken, while Pegasus is captured by Calibos and his men. Zeus commands Athena to give Perseus her owl Bubo; but she orders Hephaestus (Pat Roach) to build a mechanical replica of Bubo instead, who leads Perseus to the Stygian Witches. By taking their magic eye Perseus forces them to reveal that the only way to defeat the Kraken is by using the head of Medusa the Gorgon, who in this version lives at the edge of the Underworld. There, Perseus kills Medusa's canine guardian Dioskilos, who slays one of Perseus's companions; whereas two others die on the encounter with Medusa herself. Perseus uses the reflective underside of his shield to deceive Medusa, decapitates her, and collects her head; but the shield is dissolved by her blood. As Perseus and his party set to return, Calibos enters their camp and punctures the cloak carrying Medusa's head, causing her blood to produce giant Scorpions. Most of the men are killed; but Perseus slays the last of the Scorpions and thereafter kills Calibos. Weakened by his struggle, Perseus sends Bubo to bring Pegasus; this Bubo does, and later diverts the Kraken until Perseus appears on Pegasus. In the subsequent battle, Bubo and Perseus use Medusa's head to turn the Kraken into stone, and free Andromeda. Clash of the Titans (2010) A fisherman by name of Spyros finds a casket afloat in the sea, bearing a baby still living and clasped in the arms of his mother’s corpse. Spyros and his wife Marmara raise the baby as their own and name him "Perseus". Years later, Perseus is fishing with his family when they witness soldiers from the city of Argos destroying a Statue of Zeus. The gods, infuriated at this desecration, unleash the Furies - flying beasts who pursue mortal sinners. The soldiers are attacked and slaughtered by the Furies. The Furies merge and take the form of Hades, who destroys the ship Perseus and his family are on. His family perishes, but Perseus survives and is found by other survivors, soldiers from Argos led by Draco. Perseus is brought before King Kepheus and Queen Cassiopeia who are celebrating the campaign against the gods. The revelry is cut short by the arrival of Hades, who has been given leave by Zeus to punish the mortals for their defiance of the gods. Hades proclaims that in the upcoming solar eclipse, he will unleash the Kraken against Argos unless the Princess Andromeda is offered as a sacrifice. Before leaving, he reveals that Perseus is a demigod, the son of Zeus. Perseus is imprisoned by Draco and in captivity meets Io who tells him of his origin. Many years before, King Acrisius also tried declaring war against the gods. To punish him, Zeus impersonated Acrisius and impregnated his wife, Queen Danae. Acrisius, driven mad with rage, orders the execution of Dänae and the newborn baby and casts them into the sea in a coffin. As punishment for his continued defiance, Zeus also strikes Acrisius with lightning, transforming him into a monster. Io also reveals that she was cursed with immortality after refusing to give in to Poseidon's advances and has watched over Perseus his entire life, beginning with watching from ashore as his adoptive parents rescue him from the floating coffin, to the present, always protecting him, as he is prophesized to be the only one able to stand up to the Gods. Zeus is convinced by Apollo, who doesn't trust Hades, to give Perseus a chance and presents him with an enchanted sword forged on Mt. Olympus and a winged horse named Pegasus. Perseus refuses both gifts but a wise Draco puts the sword into safekeeping. Shortly thereafter, they are attacked by Calibos. Perseus barely manages to hold him at bay and is bitten by Calibos in a desperate move. Draco severs Calibos's hand causing Calibos to flee. The band gives chase only to be attacked by Scorpiochs summoned by Calibos’s blood. Although they manage to kill some of them, they are ultimately surrounded by even larger Scorpiochs until they are saved by the Djinn, a band of Arabic desert sorcerers led by Sheikh Sulieman. The Djinn, also wishing for the gods' defeat, lends their aid to Perseus and his hand. The group arrives at the lair of the Stygian Witches and learns from them that the only possibility for killing the Kraken is with the head of a gorgon Medusa who is residing in a temple in the Underworld. Medusa is able to turn any living creature into stone by making eye contact, and thus capturing her head is essential for battling the Kraken. As they prepare to head into the Underworld, Perseus is approached by Zeus, who offers to make him a god, but when he refuses, gives him a golden drachma which is a fare for Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld. Perseus, Io, Sulieman, Draco and his remaining men Solon, Eusebios and Ixas arrive at the Underworld and the men enter Medusa's lair while Io remains outside, unable to enter. Medusa kills Solon, (who was shot and falls into the fire), Eusebius and Ixas (who have turned to stone), and wounds the shot Draco. Sulieman and Draco wound Medusa and turn to stone, making the ultimate sacrifice. The badly wounded Medusa is beheaded by Perseus, who takes her head. The rest of the body falls into the fire. As he is leaving the temple, he witnesses Calibos creep up behind and murder Io. Perseus and Calibos engage in mortal combat with Calibos having the upper hand and disarming Perseus. Finally coming to terms with who he is, Perseus picks up the Olympian sword and pierces Calibos through the heart, turning him back into Acrisius in human form restoring him to sanity and humility for one last moment. After saying his goodbyes to the dying Io, who urges him forward to save Andromeda and Argos before she dissolves into an ethereal vapor, Perseus mounts Pegasus and hastens back to Argos. In the meantime, Zeus has ordered the Kraken's release. The Cult goes to the palace and seizes Andromeda in order to offer her to the Kraken. While Kraken ravages Argos, Hades reveals to Zeus that while they have been surviving on the people’s adoration, he has been feeding on people's fear and his monster has been channeling even more fear. While the gods have become weaker, Hades has now grown powerful enough to take on Mount Olympus and even destroy it in revenge for his betrayal so many years before. Realizing his mistake too late, Zeus can only rely on Perseus. After defeating the Kraken and Hades, Andromeda falls into the sea and Perseus dives in to save her. When he reaches her, he embraces her with a passionate kiss, indicating that he fell in love with her, and she with him. After reaching the shore and regaining consciousness, Andromeda asks Perseus if he will stay and he says there is someone he needs to talk to, before kissing her again, indicating that he will come back. Getting on Pegasus, he flies to Mount Olympus where he confronts Zeus, stating that he does not wish to be one of them and that any conflict between them has just started. After slamming his sword into the Gods' map and shattering the models of every living person, he leaves and is seen flying on Pegasus over the sea, presumably back to Argos. Wrath of the Titans 10 years after he killed the Kraken and rescued Andromeda, Perseus lives a simple life as a village fisherman and is the father of a son named Helius whose mother is Io. Zeus approaches Perseus and asks for his aid in preventing the falling of the walls of Tartarus, but Perseus refuses to leave his son and the life he has now. Perseus can not escape his destiny, as a horde of Chimeras is unleashed upon the lands, and one of them propels against Perseus' village, putting all the villagers and Perseus' son Helius' life at peril which causes Perseus to answer his call. Perseus arms himself with the armor he had stored and never thought to use again. When the Chimera rages upon the village Perseus confronts the creature and cuts the Chimera's serpent tail, and after managing to stab the creature on one of it's two heads, he kills the Chimera by tricking one of the Chimera's head to spew fire while the second head was injured and bleeding a flammable liquid, thus causing the Chimera to burn itself. Perseus' wounds are attended by Clea. Some time later, he and Helius visit the Mount of Idols, to pray for Zeus to summon him. However Zeus does not appear and a graveky wounded Poseidon appears instead. Perseus is told by Poseidon about Hades and Ares scheme and about Zeus whereabouts. Poseidon gives the trident to Perseus, and tells him to find a demi-god who is in Argos. Poseidon disintegrates in Perseus hands. Perseus embarks on a new quest, leaving Helius under Cleas' care. He rides the Pegasus once again and flies over Tartarus and other locations until finally arriving to an Argive army camp, where he is received by the soldiers who kneel before him as if he were a god. He asks Andromeda for a favor, which is to give bring to his presence the individual known as Agenor. Other appearances Video games Clash of the Titans: The Videogame In Clash of the Titans, Perseus is caught in an epic battle between Zeus and Hades. The God of the Underworld, Hades, has summoned an army of monsters to destroy humanity. Both Zeus and Perseus are trying to find a way to stop him. If Perseus wins, the Gods will bless him, if he loses, the forces of Hell will be unleashed on Earth and Hades will rule over everything. Medusa's Curse Scorpioch Strike Perseus appears on the online microgame Scorpioch Strike, on the Clash of the Titans official site.On the game, Perseus along with members of the Argive legion, must defeat a horde of giant scorpiochs on the Djinn desert. Journey Through the Labyrinth Perseus appears on the online microgame Journey Through the Labyrinth, on the Wrath of the Titans official site. On the game Perseus must find his way through the constantly changing labyrinth to find the Minotaur and defeat him. Titans Attack Perseus appears on the online game Titans Attack, from the Wrath of the Titans official site. Perseus must make his way through the Argive army camp, by slaying a Chimera and helping the soldiers defeat the hordes of Makhai released by Kronos. After defeating several Makhai, Perseus is aided by the Pegasus in slaying the remaining Chimeras. The Pegasus leaves Perseus on a hill, near Kronos vecinity, to lead the remaining Argive soldiers against the second wave of Makhai. After defeating the last of the Makhais, Perseus rides the Pegasus again, and wielding the Spear of Triam, he is prepared to confront Kronos. Wrath of the Titans: The Mobile Game Comic books Wrath of the Titans Wrath of the Titans: Cyclops Wrath of the Titans: Revenge of Medusa Death toll Perseus has slayed more main and minor characters than any other in the franchise, his death toll includes: On the 2010 remake, Perseus managed to slay a Scorpioch by himself, he also decapitated Medusa, impaled Calibos and petrified the Kraken. In Wrath of the Titans, Perseus slayed a Chimera, killed the Minotaur, impaled Ares and destroyed Kronos. Equipment Weapons and paraphernalia *Argive Sword: The trademark sword used by the Argive legion, tough the one used by Perseus is one of the few with the royal crest on it's hilt. When the sword prove useless against Calibos, he instead used the Lightning Sword. He uses an standard Argive sword again in Wrath of the Titans. *Hades' Pitchfork: Perseus briefly uses Hades' Pitchfork while battling Ares. *Helmet of Invisibility: Only used by Perseus on the 1981 film, it was given by Hades. The helmet allowed Perseus to become invisible. *Scorpion Shield: Is a shield forged from the carapace of a dead giant scorpion by the brothers Ozal and Kucuk, specially for Perseus. Perseus uses the shield against Medusa, using the shield to see Medusa's reflection to avoid seeing her directly into her eyes. Useful shield, however it was not enough to withstand Calibos, who broke the shield with a single punch. *Medusa's head: After decapitating Medusa, Zeus used her head to petrify the Kraken. *Lightning Sword: A divine sword given to Perseus as a gift by his father Zeus, the sword is capable of channeling Perseus lightining powers and is the only weapon capable of killing Calibos. *Poseidon's Trident: It was briefly used by Perseus, however it can only be used on it's full scale by member's of Poseidon's bloodline of children, in this case; Agenor. *Twin Knives: Perseus arms himfelf with a pair of Twin Knives and uses them against Ares. *Spear: An standard weapon used by Perseus during the online microgames Scorpioch Strike ''and ''Medusa's Curse. *Spear of Triam: The uber-weapon formed by Perseus, which he used to defeat Kronos. *Zeus' Thunderbolt: Perseus briefly uses Zeus' thunderbolt against Ares. He impales Ares with the thunderbolt, killing him. Transport Perseus was gifted by Zeus with the Pegasus, a beast no man has ever rode before. Perseus quickly allied with the Pegasus and uses it for transportation and during battle. Notes *Perseus is a playable character in Clash of the Titans: The videogame. *Perseus is a playable character in the online game Titans Attack. *Perseus is the first non-god character to wield the Spear of Triam, ''tough he is a demigod. *Perseus is one of the few characters to have survived a direct blow from Ares' Hammer, the other been Agenor. *Perseus is the only character that can use the Lightning Sword. *The only known character to have rode a Pegasus is Perseus. *In ''Clash of the Titans (2010), ''Perseus is the only one to escape from Medusa's Lair alive. *In ''Wrath of the Titans, Perseus is the only known character to have faced the Minotaur and emerged victorious. *Perseus is the only playable character on the online microgame Medusa's curse. *Perseus is the only playable character on the online microgame for Clash of the Titans, Scorpioch Strike. *In the alternate ending of the 2010 remake, Perseus is given a golden coin by Apollo instead of Zeus. *In mythology, the Minotaur was not defeated by Perseus, it was instead decapitated by Poseidon's demigod son Theseus. Gallery Wrath of the Titans (Comic book) Perseus and the Pegasus.jpg|Perseus rides the Pegasus Category:Greeks & Heroes Category:Characters in Wrath of the Titans